The Economic Times·2025-09-10 08:56Core Insights - The shift of Asia private equity heads to Mumbai reflects a significant reordering of global capital flows, with seven global funds now having their Asia heads based in India, compared to none five years ago [1][19] - These funds collectively manage at least $100 billion in assets, indicating a strong interest in the Indian market as investment opportunities expand across various sectors [2][19] - India's private equity market has matured, with increased deal sizes, a deepened buyout market, and multiple exit avenues emerging over the years [2][19] Investment Trends - Blackstone has approximately $50 billion in private equity and real estate investments in India, identifying it as its best investment market globally, while KKR plans to invest an additional $10 billion in the country [9][19] - The country has captured nearly 41% of private equity capital inflows in emerging markets this year, surpassing China's 34%, highlighting India's growing importance in the private equity landscape [12][19] - Global general partners are raising Asia funds excluding China, allocating 50%-70% to Japan and India, reflecting a strategic pivot towards these markets [8][19] Market Dynamics - Key drivers for the shift towards India include family-owned companies willing to cede majority control, local capital markets capable of handling multi-billion-dollar deals, and an increase in local acquisitions by Indian firms [13][19] - Despite the positive outlook, high company valuations and challenges in the tech startup sector pose risks, with some startups facing significant devaluations [5][15][19] - US-India trade tensions, particularly the doubling of tariffs on goods, introduce uncertainty, potentially slowing capital deployment in the short term [5][16][19]